# IDW Digital Comics Experience vs Panels

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Panels at 70% against IDW Digital Comics Experience's 19%. Panels also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (12K vs 4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. IDW Digital Comics Experience sells 33 one-off in-app purchases and Panels sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Panels holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Panels has 12K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 19% of IDW Digital Comics Experience's written reviews are positive against 70% of Panels's.

IDW Digital Comics Experience ships an update every 6 weeks, Panels every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | IDW Digital Comics Experience | Panels |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idw-digital-comics-experience/id335630043/reviews) | **[4.8 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/panels-comic-reader/id1236567663/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **12K** |
| Positive reviews | 19.0% of reviews | **70.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#170** |
| Size | 48 MB | 165 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [IDW Publishing](https://appshunter.io/developer/316666734) | [Produkt Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1236567662) |

## What reviewers say

### IDW Digital Comics Experience

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idw-digital-comics-experience/id335630043)

Access a vast library of comic books and graphic novels from a renowned publisher. Discover new releases weekly, enjoy curated bundles, and explore free recommendations. Read your collection with a modern, state-of-the-art reader.

**Highlights:** Weekly new releases, Curated comic and book bundles, Free comics and books recommendations, State-of-the-art app reader, Access to popular titles like Star Trek and TMNT

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (33)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dungeons & Dragons #0 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Infestation #1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Danger Girl #1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Locke and Key: Crown of Shadows #1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Dragon Age #1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Dragon Age #2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Dungeons & Dragons #1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Star Trek #1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Star Trek TNG/Doctor Who: Assimilation #1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sonic the Hedgehog #68 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Sonic: Blade of Courage: Chapter 3 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Sonic: Blade of Courage: Chapter 1 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Sonic the Hedgehog #78 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Sonic the Hedgehog #77 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Sonic the Hedgehog #76 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Sonic the Hedge.... 1: Fallout | $3.99 | one-time |
| Sonic the Hedgehog #74 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Sonic the Hedgehog #73 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Sonic the Hedgehog #72 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Sonic the Hedgehog #71 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Sonic the Hedgehog #70 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Sonic the Hedgehog #89 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sonic the Hedgehog x Godzilla #2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sonic the Hedgehog #88 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sonic the Hedgehog #87 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Sonic Racing | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sonic the Hedgehog #79 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Chaotix's 30th | $5.99 | one-time |
| Sonic the Hedgehog #75 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Sonic: 35th Anniversary Special | $7.99 | one-time |
| Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2024 | $7.99 | one-time |
| SonicTheHedgehog: TheIDW  Vol1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Locke and Key: Welcome to Lovecraft | $11.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and easy to use
- 👍 Great selection of comics
- 💡 Potential for future improvements

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Poor organization and navigation
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 📖 Blurry/low-quality reading experience
- 💰 Expensive pricing compared to other options

**Reported bugs**

- Comics disappearing from library
- Inability to restore purchases
- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Login and account issues

**Requested features**

- Offline reading/download functionality
- Better sorting and filtering options
- Panel-by-panel reading mode
- Sync purchases across devices
- Discounts/bundle options


### Panels

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/panels-comic-reader/id1236567663)

**Currently charting:** #170 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Enhance your comic and manga reading with a clean, customizable interface. Enjoy universal file compatibility, cross-device syncing, and advanced reading presets. Organize your library, secure your content, and import from various cloud services and local networks.

**Highlights:** Universal file compatibility (CBR, CBZ, PDF, ePUB), Cross-device reading progress sync, iCloud Drive integration, Customizable reading presets, Right-to-left reading for manga, OPDS server support, Content security with password/Face ID

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Panels+ Monthly | $1.49 | per month |
| Panels+ Yearly | $14.99 | per year |
| Panels 3 Upgrade | $9.99 | one-time |
| Panels 2 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Panels 3 | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth and responsive
- 👍 Clean and modern UI
- 💡 Useful features like panel view and vertical scrolling
- 🔒 No ads in paid version
- 👍 Good import and organization options

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Useful features locked behind paywall
- 🔒 Subscription model instead of one-time purchase
- 🐛 Issues with page navigation and zoom
- 🐛 Problems with reading right-to-left content

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening large files
- Issues with page order and navigation
- Problems with zooming and scrolling
- Syncing and importing bugs
- Compatibility issues with older devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to create sub-folders and nested collections
- Automatic sorting and organization of comics
- Option to lock reading direction
- Double-tap to zoom functionality
- Progress tracking and bookmarking features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is IDW Digital Comics Experience free?

IDW Digital Comics Experience is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Panels free?

Panels is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, IDW Digital Comics Experience or Panels?

Panels is rated higher. IDW Digital Comics Experience averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Panels averages 4.8 from 12K ratings.

### Do IDW Digital Comics Experience or Panels have ads?

Neither IDW Digital Comics Experience nor Panels shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, IDW Digital Comics Experience or Panels?

IDW Digital Comics Experience ships an update every 6 weeks, and Panels every 8 days. Most recently, IDW Digital Comics Experience was updated on September 19, 2026 and Panels on September 25, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*